Mobile charcoal/biochar production and pelletizer system and method thereof

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the invention provide a portable charcoal system and method of operating thereof, wherein the portable charcoal system comprises a first compartment adapted to burn a material, a second compartment connected to the first compartment and adapted to receive the material from the first compartment, and a third compartment adapted to receive the material from the second compartment, the third compartment comprising an auger adapted to move the material from a back end to a front end, and out of the third compartment. The portable charcoal system further includes a source of air.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.15/643,739, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to U.S.Provisional Patent Application 62/360,134 filed Jul. 8, 2016, thedisclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to charcoal and/or biochar producing systems.Specifically, the charcoal and/or biochar production system, asdisclosed herein, provides a portable device that can be used to makecharcoal and biochar on-site for many forestry and mill applications.

BACKGROUND

Biomass, biomass waste, and, in particular, wood waste, has been aproblem for many landfill and lumbering operations. Regardless of theterminology used to describe biomass over the years (e.g., slash, chips,YUM), there are few methods that utilize biomass waste to benefit soilproductivity, sequester carbon, or reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

An Oregon State University examination showed that 10 tons/acre ofbiochar application may increase dryland wheat yield by 26% to 33%.Dependent upon the conversion method used to obtain this biochar,approximately 33 to 80 tons of green biomass is needed. In perspective,if that biomass is removed from the forest at a rate of 10 tons/acre,one acre of treated farmland would resultantly reduce the risk ofwildfire of 3 to 8 acres of forest.

In brief, charcoal and/or biochar can be a viable source of Soil OrganicMatter (SOM). The Natural Resources and Conservation Service claims thatan increase of 1 percent of SOM can increase soil/water potential byabout 25,000 gallons/acre. Charcoal and/or biochar, when producedappropriately, can be greater than 80 percent pure carbon, making theuse of this material both a way to improve soil water available to theplants and a viable way to sequester stable carbon with the alternativeobjective of soil improvement. This stable form of carbon will decomposeon a very long time frame. Most common forms of carbon sequestrationrelies on vegetation growth, which may result in temporary carbonsequestration; available to future biologic decomposition.

One reason for the lack of use of biomass waste are harvest logisticsand the final value of products made from biomass. Low-value biomass isoften under-utilized because of the difficulty of transportation andhigh transportation costs thereof due to most processing facilitiesbeing located off-site from the harvesting site. In order to overcomethese difficulties, wood waste is sometimes ground to reduce its volume.However, this can be expensive, harmful to the environment, and fails toreduce the amount of wood waste. Also, in some instances, grinding,chipping, and hauling the wood waste may spread problems related toinsect infestation and/or negatively contribute to climate change.

When biomass has no merchantable value, a common method of biomassdisposal is open air burning of residual piles. However, these methodsmay reduce soil productivity for years as the heat generated from suchburn piles may negatively alter the soil underneath the pile. Therefore,in order to prevent such, the wood waste may alternatively be burned infireboxes or fire pits on-site. Further, in order to reduce ash andsmoke released during the incineration process, a flow of air has beenused to provide an air curtain over a fire pit or firebox in which thewaste is burned. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,756,258 and 5,415,113describe portable apparatuses that may be used in air curtainincinerations. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 4,756,258 discloses a fanand manifold assembly that can be towed to and positioned at the edge ofa fire pit and U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,113 teaches a firebox, fan, andmanifold assembly mounted on a support frame for transport to a desiredclearing site for the incineration of waste without the need to dig afire pit.

Further, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,536,360 and 7,063,027 teach air-curtainfireboxes or incinerators designed to capture waste heat for usefulapplications. Yet even with the aforementioned advances, biomassincineration still suffers many drawbacks.

Current curtain burners offer a way to increase the speed of biomassconsumption with fire and concurrently reduce the risk of wildfires.Unfortunately, current curtain burners are designed to completelyconsume woody biomass, ultimately and irreversibly turning the woodwaste to ash. In other words, by simply eliminating biomass from a site,current curtain burners only offer a service. As such, current aircurtain burners eliminate many benefits that may result from potentialcharcoal and/or biochar that may be produced from the biomass. Further,current air curtain burners are batch processes, requiring an operatorto insert and remove material from the air curtain burners after eachoperational use.

Therefore, a new portable charcoal device is desired that mayeffectively benefit soil productivity, sequester the carbon from thewood waste into useable matter, and reduce greenhouse gas emissionsduring a continuous operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The embodiments provided herein provide a portable charcoal device thatcan be deployed for in-woods or on-site charcoal or biocharmanufacturing. Some specific embodiments of the invention provide aportable charcoal system comprising a first compartment, a secondcompartment, and a third compartment. In this embodiment, the firstcompartment is at least partially defined by four walls and adapted toburn a material. Further, the first compartment comprises an open topand a bottom with at least a portion thereof configured to allow burntmaterial to pass to the second compartment. The second compartment is atleast partially defined by four walls, may be connected to the firstcompartment, and may be adapted to receive the material from the firstcompartment. Further, the third compartment is at least partiallydefined by a front end, a back end, and may be connected to the secondcompartment. In particular, the third compartment is adapted to receivethe material from the second compartment and comprises an auger adaptedto move the material from the back end to the front end and out of thethird compartment. In this particular embodiment, the portable charcoalsystem further includes a source of air so that the source of air maydirect a curtain of air across the open top of the first compartment.

Some embodiments of the invention further provide a portable charcoalsystem comprising a first compartment, a second compartment, and thirdcompartment. The first compartment is at least partially defined by fourperipheral walls and a platform on a bottom end thereof, and the secondcompartment is at least partially defined by four peripheral walls andthe platform on a top end thereof. Further, at least a portion of theplatform is configured to allow burnt material to pass to the secondcompartment. The third compartment may be connected to an end of thesecond compartment and may comprise an auger and an extruder.

In further illustrative embodiments, the bottom of the first compartmentmay be in the foiiii an expanded metal, a sieve, or a grate. Inalternative illustrative embodiments, at least a portion of the bottomof the first compartment is perforated. The bottom of the firstcompartment may also be capable of moving vertically and/or axially inrelation to the four walls of the first compartment. The secondcompartment may also comprise a plurality of chain driven drag barsand/or directional bars on a bottom thereof Alternatively, the secondcompartment may have an angled bottom surface. Further, the thirdcompartment may also comprise an extruder and a heat conductive medium.The heat conductive medium may optionally include an additive therein.

Some embodiments of the invention provide a portable charcoal systemcomprising an intake compartment, a first compartment, a secondcompartment, and a third compartment. The intake compartment may includea four walled hopper and a fan. The first compartment may be at leastpartially defined by a first cylindrical wall and the second compartmentmay be at least partially defined by a second cylindrical wall.Illustratively, at least a portion of the second cylindrical wall issolid and partially surrounds the first cylindrical wall. Further inthis embodiment, at least a portion of the first cylindrical wall isconfigured to allow burnt material to pass to the second compartment,e.g., a sieve or a grate. The third compartment may be connected to thesecond compartment and may comprise an auger adapted to move materialfrom a back end to a front end of the third compartment. In addition,the portable charcoal system may comprise a source of air.

In this embodiment, the first cylindrical wall of the portable charcoalsystem may be at least one of an expanded metal, a sieve, or a grate.Alternatively, the first cylindrical wall may be perforated. The firstcompartment and the second compartment may be capable of rotatingaxially by the use of a drive wheel and/or drum trunnion. The thirdcompartment may further comprise a heat conductive medium. In furtherembodiments, the heat conductive medium may include an additive.

Some embodiments of the invention further provide a method ofcontinuously producing charcoal from a portable burn system. The methodmay comprise the steps of initiating a combustion process of biomasswithin a burn compartment, directing a stream of air from a source ofair to at least one compartment of the portable burn system, burning thebiomass inside the burn compartment to produce an amount of charcoal,transferring the amount of charcoal from the burn compartment to anextruding compartment through a collection compartment, and quenchingand extruding the charcoal in the extruding compartment.

In further embodiments, the method may include a step of cutting thecharcoal into a pellet, a step of drying the charcoal, and/or a step ofpackaging the charcoal. Wherein the method comprises the step of dryingthe charcoal, in a particular embodiment, the charcoal may be driedusing the heat generated in the step of burning the biomass inside theburn compartment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective partial cross-sectional view of a portablecharcoal device according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational partial cross-sectional view of theportable charcoal device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts an illustrative process or method for the operation ofthe portable charcoal device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side partial cross-sectional view of a perspective view ofanother portable charcoal device according to another embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 5 is a front partial cross-sectional view of the portable charcoaldevice of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 depicts an illustrative process or method for the operation ofthe portable charcoal device of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and the arrangement of components set forthin the following description or illustrated in the following drawings.The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orof being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood thatthe phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of“including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein ismeant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereofas well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, theterms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variationsthereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirectmountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected”and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connectionsor couplings.

The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in theart to make and use embodiments of the invention. Various modificationsto the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilledin the art, and the generic principles herein can be applied to otherembodiments and applications without departing from embodiments of theinvention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not intended to belimited to embodiments shown, but are to be accorded the widest scopeconsistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. Thefollowing detailed description is to be read with reference to thefigures, in which like elements in different figures have like referencenumerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to scale, depictselected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope ofembodiments of the invention. Skilled artisans will recognize theexamples provided herein have many useful alternatives and fall withinthe scope of embodiments of the invention.

The embodiments described herein are for use in burning wood waste,e.g., pallets, forest slash, land-clearing debris, general green waste,slash, chips, YUM, storm debris, and/or other biomass waste.

FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a portable charcoal device 10 according to oneembodiment of the invention. The portable charcoal device 10 is capableof converting biomass into useable charcoal and/or biochar. The portablecharcoal device 10 may include a first compartment or burn compartment12, a second compartment or collection compartment 14, and a thirdcompartment or an extruding compartment 16. Further, the portablecharcoal device 10 may include a source of air 18.

In this particular embodiment, the burn compartment 12 is defined byfour peripheral walls 20, 22, 24, 26, an open top 28, and a bottomsurface 30. Further, the four peripheral walls 20-26 are generallyperpendicular to the bottom surface 30. In alternative embodiments, thefour peripheral walls may be acutely or obtusely angled in relation tothe bottom surface 30. In this embodiment, the peripheral walls 20-26may be any suitable material capable for the containment of incinerationtherein. In the preferred embodiment, the peripheral walls 20-26 may be4 inch refractory panels filled with proprietary thermal ceramicmaterial.

The bottom surface 30 may be in the form of a grate, screen, or thelike. In other words, the bottom surface 30 may include apertures 32.The apertures 32 may be a plurality of shapes and sizes. The apertures32, in particular embodiments, may range from ¼ inches to 0.0083 inches(70 mesh) in opening. In some embodiments, the apertures 32 are ⅛ inchto 1 inch openings and, in particular embodiments, are ¼ to ½ inchopenings. However, it should be appreciated that the apertures 32 may bea plurality of shapes and sizes. During use, the apertures 32 mayfunction as a sieve and, in effect, retain large material burning in theburn compartment 12, while allowing smaller coals to exfoliate and fallinto the collection compartment 14. Therefore, as one skilled in the artwould appreciate, the apertures 32 may be shaped and/or sized for theparticular use thereof. For example, when relatively large charcoal orbiochar is desired, the apertures 32 may have 1 inch or larger openings.

In a further embodiment, the bottom surface 30 may be capable ofshaking. In these embodiments, the bottom surface 30 may include ashaking feature or a shaker (not shown) that may be programmed with arate of shaking. In the preferred embodiment, the rate of shaking may bedependent upon a consumption of an amount of burning coals exfoliatingon the bottom surface 30. With reference to FIG. 2, the shaking featureand/or shaker moves the bottom surface 30 vertically (as shown by arrows34). In effect, the shaking feature helps to increase exfoliation ofburning coals from the burning wood waste mass and decrease the size oflarge exfoliations to pass through the apertures 32. Further, the shakerhelps to release burning coals into the collection compartment 14.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the portable charcoal device 10 may includethe source of air 18. In this embodiment, the source of air 18 may beprovided by an air curtain manifold 36 arranged to direct a curtain ofair, or preferably high-velocity airflow, over the open top 28 of theburn compartment 12. The source of air 18 may further include a fan 38driven by an engine (not shown) to generate airflow through the aircurtain manifold 36. In an illustrative embodiment, the fan 38 is acustom heavy duty air fan.

As mentioned, in this embodiment, the portable charcoal device 10 mayfurther include the second compartment or collection compartment 14. Inthis embodiment, the collection compartment 14 may be defined or atleast partially defined by the four peripheral walls 20-26 and islocated below the burn compartment 12. In this particular embodiment,the four peripheral walls 20-26 of the collection compartment 14 are thefour peripheral walls 20-26 of the burn compartment 12. In alternativeembodiments, the collection compartment 14 may have peripheral wallsseparate from the burn compartment 12. As such, the collectioncompartment 14 may have a different width or depth than the burncompartment 12. Further, in some embodiments, it may be desired toremove the burn compartment 12 from the collection compartment 14 duringtransportation purposes, due to transportation restrictions, and thelike. Therefore, in alternative embodiments, the collection compartment14 may be attached and detached from the burn compartment 12 whendesired.

In this embodiment, the collection compartment 14 has a top end at leastpartially defined by the bottom surface 30 of the burn compartment 12.Further, the collection compartment 14 includes a chain and drag barsystem 40. As shown in FIG. 2, the chain and drag bar system 40 may be aconveyor belt assembly with a plurality of pulleys 42, a first and asecond chains 44, 46, and a belt positioned between the first and secondchains 44, 46. In this embodiment the conveyor belt assembly moves in adirection as shown by arrows 48. The pulleys 42 include a plurality ofprotrusions 50 on an outer circumference thereof allowing the first andthe second chains 44, 46 to be in conjunction with the pulleys 42. As aresult, upon rotation of the pulleys 42, the first and second chains 44,46 rotate to move the belt. The chain and drag bar system 40 may alsoinclude a plurality of drag bars 52 positioned on a top surface 54 ofthe belt. In effect, the drag bars 52 may assist in moving an amount ofmaterial that falls from the burn compartment 12 into the extrudingcompartment 16.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the portable charcoal device 10 mayfurther include an extruding compartment 16. The extruding compartment16 may be at least partially defined by an outer wall 56, a front end58, and a back end 60. The outer wall 56 may form a floor 62. In thepreferred embodiment, the floor 62 of the outer wall 56 may be angled toallow material collected thereon to fall into the extruding compartment16 by gravity.

The extruding compartment 16 may be provided by any suitable material.In particular embodiments, the material of the extruding compartment 16may be chosen in order to limit the amount of wear from heat and liquidon an inside surface thereof In an illustrative embodiment, theextruding compartment 16 may be built from a stainless steel material.

The extruding compartment 16 may further include an auger 64 positionedtherein. The auger 64 is adapted to move material from the back end 60to the front end 58 of the extruding compartment 16. In someembodiments, the front end 58 of the extruding compartment 16 includesan extruder 66. In effect, as the auger 64 moves material from the backend 60 to the front end 58, the material may be extruded into charcoalpellets using the extruder 66. The extruder 66 may include a pluralityof extrusion ports 68 capable of extruding the charcoal into a varietyof shapes and sizes. In some embodiments, the extruder plate holes orextrusion ports 68 may be scaled to match the size of most agriculturalimplements which distribute pelletized or prilled material. In furtherembodiments, the extruding compartment 16 may also include a knife setup 69 that may assist in cutting the charcoal and/or biochar into thedesired shape, thickness, length, etc.

The extruding compartment 16 may also include a heat conductive mediumtherein. For example, in one embodiment, the extruding compartment 16 isfilled with water. As such, upon entering the extruding compartment 16from the collection compartment 14, the charcoal and/or biochar isquenched and cooled. In specific embodiments, the heat conductive mediummay be nutrient laden or include additives. For example, the additivemay include a fertilizer or a pellet binder.

In particular embodiments, a fertilizer is added to the extrudingcompartment 16 to provide the equivalence of approximately 200 lbs/acreof Nitrogen in the heat conductive medium so that the C:N ratio maydecrease. Further, putting dry material directly through a pellet millmay result in a fire. Therefore, other material may be added to thebiochar material during pellet production to help hold together thepellet and help produce a more uniform pellet. For example, freshlogging slash, i.e., finely (<¼″) needles and twigs, may be mixed withthe material prior to extrusion in the extruding compartment 16. Themoisture and resins present in the fresh slash may assist in holding thebiochar product together and may further add nutrients from the needlesto the biochar product. In a preferred embodiment, true firs, e.g.,white firs (Abies concolor), may be used as a binder or additive. Truefirs, and more specifically white firs, have a high resin output, makingthem a desirable additive. However, high resin material may be dilutedprior to use as additives in alternative embodiments. Further, manyconifers may produce extra resin when stressed. As such, diseased andstressed conifer strands may be used as binder additives herein forpalletization needs.

Further additives may include nutrient mixes of Nitrogen (N),Phosphorous (P), Potassium (K), Sulfur (S), lignin, gluten, or othercommercially available liquid nutrients. These additives may be used atvarious and non-limiting proportions to fit custom soil conditions,dependent upon consumer needs.

When the heat conductive medium includes additives, the charcoal pelletmay be considered a biologically active product with soil conditioningproperties, e.g., improvements to tilth, infiltration, and water holdingcapacities. It is preferred that the depth of the heat conductive mediumin the extruding compartment 16 does not exceed the lowest extrusionport in order to limit fluid loss therefrom.

The portable charcoal device 10 may have a height H1, a width W1, and alength L1. In some embodiments, the height H1 may range from about 4feet to about 15 feet or may range from about 6 feet to about 10 feet.Further, in these embodiments, the width W1 may range from about 4 feetto about 15 feet or may range from about 5 feet to about 9 feet and thelength L1 may range from about 10 feet to about 40 feet or may rangefrom about 15 feet to about 25 feet.

FIG. 3 depicts a method 100 for operating the portable charcoal device10 to produce charcoal and/or biochar. First, in step 101, wood waste orother material may be appropriately sized for insertion into theportable charcoal device 10. During step 102, wood waste, debris, or thelike of varying sizes may be placed in the burn compartment 12 throughthe open top 28. In this particular embodiment, an amount ofapproximately 3 to 10 tons of wood waste may be placed therein. Afterinserting wood waste in the burn compartment 12, the wood waste may beignited at step 104. The wood waste may be ignited manually orautomatically using a flame.

For example, the portable charcoal device 10 may include a fuel supplytank (not shown), a fuel-burning electrical power generator (not shown)in communication with the fuel supply tank, and/or a fuel-burning burnerunit (not shown) in communication with the fuel supply tank fordirecting a flame into the burn compartment 12. Once the fire has spreadsufficiently and will not be extinguished by air movement, the fan 38and the air curtain manifold 36 may be activated in step 106 so that aneffective curtain of air may be supplied across the open top 28 of theburn compartment 12.

The fan 38 and/or the air curtain manifold 36 may also be used tocontrol an operating temperature inside the burn compartment 12. Forinstance, in some embodiments, the operating temperature is above 500°C. in order to minimize the accumulation of polycyclic aromatichydrocarbon, i.e., PAH, and other carcinogens forming on producedbiochar. As such, in these embodiments, the operating temperature may bemonitored and the amount of air supplied to the burn compartment 12 maybe dependent or altered variant upon the operating temperature therein.

During the initial fire spread, some small particles may fall throughthe bottom surface 30. However, the desired conversion of the wood wasteto charcoal may occur after some time of burning. The conversion of thewood waste to charcoal mostly occurs from the consumption of 1 hourfuels, i.e., wood waste with fuel energy storage sufficient to burn forone hour (wood waste of approximately 0 to ¼ inch diameters). In thecase of wood waste with larger diameters, charcoal may form as rinds onthe exterior of 10-hour to 100-hour fuels, i.e., ¼ to 1 inch diametersand 1 to 3 inch diameters, respectively, or larger woods. The shaker andthe chain and drag bar system 40 may be activated at step 108 in orderto accelerate the loosening of the charcoal rinds from the larger woodsvia agitation of the bottom surface 30. The agitation from step 108helps separate the exfoliating charcoal from the burning wood in theburn compartment 12 and ultimately the transfer of the charcoal to thecollection compartment 14.

In some embodiments, the agitation of the bottom surface 30 may beintermittingly turned on and off in order to allow charcoal to form onthe wood waste in the burn compartment 12 or to allow charcoal to beremoved from the burn compartment 12. For example, in the scenario thatwood does not exfoliate at an acceptable rate, the bottom surface 30 maybe automatically or manually programmed to stop shaking in order toallow charcoal to form on the biomass. Once charcoal is of adequateabundance, the bottom surface 30 may continue to shake. Further, thebottom surface 30 may be programmed to turn on and off intermittinglyfor predetermined lengths of time. In this embodiment, the predeterminedlengths of time may be dependent upon the type or size of waste woodplaced within the burn compartment 12. This process also allows thecharcoal to be separated from possible condensation of volatiles on thesurface thereof, resulting in a cleaner charcoal product.

Once a significant amount of wood waste has been burned and converted tocharcoal in the burn compartment 12, more wood or wood waste may beintroduced to the burn compartment 12. The wood waste may simply beplaced in the burn compartment 12 by dropping the wood waste in the opentop 28 thereof and through the air curtain. This process allows themethod 100 to be a continuous process, increasing the throughput of theportable charcoal device 10.

After activating the shaker and chain and drag bar system 40, the auger64 may be activated at step 110. Following step 110, charcoal which hasfallen into the collection compartment 14 from the burn compartment 12may move into the extruding compartment 16, allowing the charcoal to bequenched (by the heat conductive medium therein), crushed, and extrudedusing the extruder 66 at step 112. In step 112, any embers still burningwill be extinguished. In effect, in step 112, the material in theextruding compartment 16 may be mixed and moved from the back end 60 tothe front end 58 of the extruding compartment 16 using the auger 64. Thecharcoal extrusions may exit the extruding compartment 16 through theextrusion ports 68. The extruding ports 68 may be provided with avariety of sizes. For example, in a particular embodiment, the extrudingports 68 may include an aperture size of between about 0.1 inches andabout 0.25 inches. A cutter or the knife set up 69 may be synced withthe auger 64 to turn simultaneously in order to form uniform pellets.The cutter 69 may be synced to produce pellets of a desired length. Inone embodiment, the cutter 69 produces pellets with a length betweenabout 0.1 inches and about 1 inch.

After extrusion, the method 100 may further comprise drying the pelletsfrom step 112 in step 114. In particular embodiments, the portablecharcoal device 10 may be adapted so that heat generated from the burncompartment 12 after step 104 may be used to dry the pellets in step114. In alternative embodiments, the pellets may be dried through adryer box with a conveyor in step 114. Once dried, the pellets may bepackaged and sealed into sacks or containers in step 116. Alternatively,the pellets may be applied to the site at which the portable charcoaldevice 10 is located or to neighboring sites.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a portable charcoal device 150 according toanother embodiment of the invention. In this particular embodiment, theportable charcoal device 150 may include an intake or hopper compartment151, a first or burn compartment 152, a second or collection compartment154, a third or extruding compartment 156, and a source of air 158. Theburn and the collection compartments 152, 154 might be blocked up orangled to operate at a slight incline, such as between five and tendegrees, for example.

Alternatively, the burn compartment 152 and the collection compartment154 may have a conical shape with an upper end smaller in diameter thana lower end thereof. Opposite ends of the burn compartment 152 and thecollection compartment 154 may be identified as a material feed end 160and a material discharge end 162. When the burn compartment 152 and thecollection compartment 154 are conical as schematically shown in FIGS. 4and 5, the upper end thereof is the material feed end 160 into whichwood waste or biomass may be inserted. The material feed end 160 mayalso be referred to as the upstream end. As custom, the terms “upstream”and “downstream” may also be used herein to refer to the flow of thebiomass material through the burn compartment 152 and the collectioncompartment 154.

Further, the portable charcoal device 150 may include a plurality ofrollers 164, a drive wheel 166, and a tire 168. The burn compartment 152and the collection compartment 154 may both be supported for rotationabout longitudinal axes through the compartment on the rollers 164. Ineffect, the plurality of rollers 164, the drive wheel 166, and the atleast one tire 168 may rotate to consequently cause the burn compartment152 and the collection compartment 154 to rotate in either acounterclockwise or clockwise direction.

In this embodiment, the portable charcoal device 150 also includes thehopper compartment 151 comprising an infeed hopper 170 and a fan orblower 172. The portable charcoal device 150 further includes aplurality of supports 174. The infeed hopper 170 may be any suitablehopper known in the art and suitable for the placement of wood waste inan open top 171 thereof. The hopper compartment 151 and, in particular,the infeed hopper 170 acts as an inlet for the material feed end 160,transferring material placed therein to the burn compartment 152. Thefan 172 may be attached to the infeed hopper 170 and vertically alignedwith the burn compartment 152.

During use of the portable charcoal device 150, the fan 172 may directan amount of air into the burn compartment 152 and the collectioncompartment 154 to prevent any embers from escaping the portablecharcoal device 150. Further, during the production of charcoal in theburn compartment 152, the fan 172 may help in controlling thetemperature therein.

As previously mentioned, in some embodiments, the operating temperatureof the burning compartment 152 is above 500° C. in order to minimize theaccumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, i.e., PAH, and othercarcinogens forming on produced biochar. As such, in these embodiments,the operating temperature may be monitored and the amount of airsupplied to the burn compartment 152 by the fan 172 may be dependent oraltered variant upon the operating temperature therein. In anillustrative embodiment, the fan 172 is a custom heavy duty air fan.

The burn compartment 152 may be at least partially defined by a firstcylindrical wall 176. In this particular embodiment, the cylindricalouter wall has a length L2 and a radius R1 that may increase across thelength L2 of the first cylindrical wall 176. The radius R1 may bepartially defined by a first radius R2 and a final radius R3. In thepreferred embodiment, the burn compartment 152 is conical in shape and,as a result, the final radius R3 is greater than the first radius R2.However, it should be appreciated that in other embodiments, the finalradius R2 may be less than the first radius R3, or the final radius R3and the first radius R2 may be equal.

The length L2 of the burn compartment 152 may range from about 23 feetto about 30 feet and preferably from about 23 feet to about 25 feet.Further, the radius R1 of the burn compartment 152 may range from about2 feet to about 4 feet and preferably from about 3 feet to about 4 feet.

In an illustrative embodiment, the burn compartment 152 may be in theform of an expanded metal, a grate, a sieve, or the like. In alternativeembodiments, the first cylindrical wall 176 of the first compartment maybe at least partially perforated. In either case, the first cylindricalwall 176 includes a plurality of apertures 178. The apertures 178 may bea variety of shapes and sizes. The apertures 178, in particularembodiments, may range from ¼ inches to 0.0083 inches (or 70 mesh) inopening.

In some embodiments, the apertures 178 are ⅛ inch to 1 inch or ¼ to ½inch openings. However, as previously noted, it should be appreciatedthat the openings may be a plurality of shapes and sizes. During use,the apertures 178 may function as a sieve and, in effect, may retainlarge material burning in the burn compartment 12, while allowingsmaller coals to exfoliate and fall into the collection compartment 154.In effect, the burn compartment 12 retains the large material until theydecrease in size and transfer into the collection compartment 154.Therefore, as one skilled in the art would appreciate, the apertures 178may be shaped and/or sized for the particular use therefor. For example,when relatively large charcoal or biochar is desired, the apertures 178may have 1 inch or larger openings. Further, in the some alternativeembodiments, the first cylindrical wall 176 of the burn compartment 152may be perforated along the outer circumference thereof.

In further embodiments, the burn compartment 152 is further fitted withan internal expanded metal cage to support biomass therein. Further, inthis particular embodiment, the expanded metal will be supported bylifters to support the cage and direct the flow of exfoliated coalstoward the collection compartment 154.

In a further embodiment, the burn compartment 152 may be capable ofrolling. In these embodiments, the burn compartment 152 may rotate toaccelerate exfoliation of charcoal and further may be programmed toagitate and/or roll the burn compartment 152 at a predetermined speed.In the preferred embodiment, the rate or speed of the rotation may bedependent upon an amount of burning coals exfoliating from the burncompartment 152. In effect, the agitation and/or rolling of the burncompartment 152 may help to increase exfoliation of burning coals fromthe burning wood waste mass. As will be discussed in further detailherein, the burn compartment 152 and the collection compartment 154 maybe capable of rolling synchronically with one another.

The collection compartment 154 may be at least partially defined by asecond cylindrical wall 180 and an end wall 182 on the materialdischarge end 162. In this particular embodiment, the second cylindricalwall 180 has a length L3 and a radius R4 that increases across thelength L3 of the second cylindrical wall 180. The radius R4 may bepartially defined by a first radius R5 and a final radius R6. In thepreferred embodiment, the collection compartment 154 is conical in shapeand, therefore, the final radius R6 is greater than the first radius R5.

In this embodiment the second cylindrical wall 180 may be steel and, inparticular, stainless steel. The steel may be provided as 0.1 to ¼ inchsteel. In the preferred embodiment, the second cylindrical wall 180 maybe a 4 inch refractory panel filled with proprietary thermal ceramicmaterial.

The length L3 of the collection compartment 154 may range from about 23feet to about 30 feet and preferably from about 23 feet to about 25feet. Further, the radius R4 of the collection compartment 154 may rangefrom about 3 feet to about 5 feet and preferably from about 4 feet toabout 5 feet. The radius R4 of the collection compartment 154 is largerthan the radius R1 of the burn compartment 152. As such, the collectioncompartment 154 at least partially surrounds the burn compartment 152.Further, the difference between the radius R4 of the collectioncompartment 154 and the radius R1 of the burn compartment 152 may createa spacing 184. The spacing 184 may range from about 0 inches to greaterthan 12 inches.

The collection compartment 154 may further include an end wall 182located on the material discharge end 162. The end wall 182 may act as apartition, defining an interior of the collection compartment 154 and,during use, may prevent embers from escaping the burn compartment 152and the collection compartment 154. In this embodiment, the end wall 182may generally be circular and complementary in shape with the materialdischarge end 162 of the second cylindrical wall 180. As such, the endwall 182 may have a radius substantially equal to the final radius R6.However, in another embodiment, the end wall 182 has a radius R7slightly larger than the final radius R6. As shown in FIG. 4, the radiusR7 may generally be equal to the final radius R6 plus two times thethickness of the second cylindrical wall 180. Therefore, the end wall182 may form a shroud over the second cylindrical wall 180 or thecollection compartment 154. As discussed, the end wall 182 may help toprevent embers from escaping the burn compartment 152 and the collectioncompartment 154.

The end wall 182 may include an outlet 186 positioned on a lower endthereof that allows accumulated material within the collectioncompartment 154 to move to the extruding compartment 156. In thisparticular embodiment, the outlet 186 may be an aperture. Further, inthis particular embodiment, the end wall 182 is not affixed or, in otherwords, is separate from the collection compartment 154. Therefore, whenthe collection compartment 154 rotates, as will be described in furtherdetail herein, the relative position of the end wall 180 stays fixedand, as follows, the outlet 186 stays positioned on a lower end of theend wall 182.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the collection compartment 154 may besupported by the plurality of supports 174. The plurality of supports174 may be in the form of metal beams or any suitable material capableof supporting the portable charcoal device 150. The supports 174 mayinclude the plurality of rollers 164 on a top end thereof. The rollers164 may include a plurality of belts 188 thereon. As such, the rollers164 may enable the collection compartment 154 to rotate thereupon duringoperation thereof.

As mentioned, the portable charcoal device 150 may further include adrive wheel 166. The drive wheel 166 may include a wheel 190 and a motor(not shown) configured to transmit force by converting torque into atractive force in order to rotate the collection compartment 154 of theportable charcoal device 150. In this particular embodiment, the burncompartment 152 and the collection compartment 154 are affixed together.As a result, upon rotation of the collection compartment 154, the burncompartment 152 also rotates. Rotation of the burn compartment 152and/or the collection compartment 154 may allow burnt material tomechanically break in size and may direct the burnt material from thecollection compartment 154 to the outlet 186 and, resultantly, to theextruding compartment 156. As will be discussed in more detail below,the combination of the rotation of the collection compartment 154 andthe relative incline thereof acts to move charcoal therein to the outlet186.

In this embodiment, the collection compar anent 154 may further includea third compartment or extruding compartment 156. The extrudingcompartment 156 is located downstream from the burn compartment 152 andthe collection compartment 154 and positioned to receive materialexiting the collection compartment 154 through the outlet 186. In thecase the burn compartment 152 and the collection compartment 154 areelevated (as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5), the extruding compartment 156 ispositioned below the collection compartment 154. The extrudingcompartment 156 may be at least partially defined by an outer wall 192,a front end 194, and a back end 196. The outer wall 192 may generallyhave an angled surface 198 to allow material collected therein to fallinto an auger 200.

The extruding compartment 156 may be provided by any suitable material.In particular embodiments, the material of the extruding compartment 156may be chosen in order to limit the amount of wear from heat and liquidon an inside surface thereof In an illustrative embodiment, theextruding compartment 156 may be built from a stainless steel material.

The auger 200 is adapted to move material from the back end 196 to thefront end 194 of the extruding compartment 156. In some embodiments, thefront end 194 of the extruding compartment 156 includes an extruder 202.In effect, as the auger 200 moves material from the back end 196 to thefront end 194, the material may be extruded into charcoal pellets usingthe extruder 202. The extruder 202 may include a plurality of extrusionports 204 capable of extruding the charcoal into a variety of shapes andsizes. In some embodiments, the extruder plate holes or extrusion ports204 may be scaled to match the size of most agricultural implementswhich distribute pelletized or prilled material. In further embodiments,the extruding compartment 156 may also include a knife set up 205 thatmay assist in cutting the charcoal and/or biochar into the desiredshape, thickness, length, etc.

The extruding compartment 156 may also include a heat conductive mediumtherein. For example, in one embodiment, the extruding compartment 156is filled with water. As such, upon entering the extruding compartment156 from the collection compartment 154, the charcoal and/or biochar isquenched and cooled. In specific embodiments, the heat conductive mediummay be nutrient laden or include additives. For example, the additivemay include a fertilizer or a pellet binder. In particular embodiments,a fertilizer is added to the extruding compartment 156 to provide theequivalence of approximately 200 lbs/acre of Nitrogen in the heatconductive medium so that the C:N ratio may decrease. Alternatively,fresh logging slash, i.e., finely (<¼″) needles and twigs, may be mixedwith the material prior to extrusion in the extruding compartment 16.The moisture and resins present in the fresh slash may assist in holdingthe biochar product together and may further add nutrients from theneedles to the biochar product. In further embodiments, the additive mayalso be nutrient mixes of Nitrogen, Phosphorous, Potassium, or the like.The additives may be used at varying proportions to make custom soilconditions, dependent upon a consumer needs.

When the heat conductive medium includes additives, the charcoal pelletmay be considered a biologically active product with soil conditioningproperties, e.g., improvements to tilth, infiltration, and water holdingcapacities. It is preferred that the depth of the heat conductive mediumin the extruding compartment 156 does not exceed the lowest extrusionport in order to limit fluid loss therefrom.

FIG. 6 depicts a method 210 for operating the portable charcoal device150 to produce charcoal and/or biochar. Before inserting material intothe portable charcoal device 150, wood waste or other material may beappropriately sized, cut, or the like in step 211. In step 212, woodwaste, debris, or the like of varying sizes may be placed in the infeedhopper 170 through the open top 171 thereof. In this particularembodiment, an amount of approximately 3 to 10 tons of wood waste may beplaced therein. During step 212, the drive wheel 166 may be activated atstep 214 in order to allow the first compartment 152 to fill with thewood waste, debris, or the like. Once the first compartment 152 isfilled with wood waste, the drive wheel 166 may be disengaged to allowignition in step 216. The wood waste may be ignited manually orautomatically using a flame. For example, the portable charcoal device150 may include a fuel supply tank (not shown), a fuel-burningelectrical power generator (not shown) in communication with the fuelsupply tank, and/or a fuel-burning burner unit (not shown) incommunication with the fuel supply tank for directing a flame into theburn compartment 152.

Once the fire has spread sufficiently and will not be extinguished byair movement, the fan 172 and drive wheel 166 may be activated in step218 so that an effective amount of air may be supplied to the burncompartment 152. The fan 172 may also be used to control an operatingtemperature inside the burn compartment 152. For example, in someembodiments, the operating temperature is above 500° C. in order tominimize the accumulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, i.e., PAH,and other carcinogens forming on produced biochar. As such, in theseembodiments, the operating temperature may be monitored and the amountof air supplied to the burn compartment 152 in step 218 may be dependentor altered variant upon the operating temperature therein.

During or prior to the initial fire spread, some small particles mayfall through the apertures 178 of the burn compartment 152. However, asdiscussed similarly in regard to method 100, the conversion of the woodwaste to charcoal occurs after some time of burning. The conversion ofthe wood waste to charcoal mostly occurs from the consumption of 1 hourfuels, i.e., wood waste with fuel energy storage sufficient to burn forone hour (wood waste with diameters of approximately 0 to ¼ inches). Inthe case of wood waste with larger diameters, charcoal may form rinds onthe exterior of 10-hour to 100-hour fuels, i.e., ¼ to 1 inch diametersand 1 to 3 inch diameters, respectively, or larger woods.

After steps 216 and 218, the shaker and/or the drive wheel 166 may becontrolled in order to accelerate or decelerate the loosening of thecharcoal rinds from the larger woods via agitation or rotation of theburn compartment 152. The agitation and rotation may help separate theexfoliating charcoal from the burning wood in the burn compartment 152and transfer the charcoal to the collection compartment 154.

In some embodiments, the agitation and/or rotation of the burncompartment 152 and collection compartment 154 may be intermittinglyturned on and off in order to allow charcoal to form in the burncompartment 152. For example, in the scenario that wood does notcontinue to exfoliate, the burn compartment 152 and the collectioncompartment 154 may automatically or manually programmed to stoprotating and/or shaking in order to allow charcoal to form.

Once charcoal is of adequate abundance, the burn compartment 152 and thecollection compartment 154 may continue to shake or rotate. The burncompartment 152 and the collection compartment 154 may also beprogrammed to turn on and off intermittingly for predetermined lengthsof time. In this embodiment, the predetermined lengths of time may bedependent upon the characteristics (e.g., size, moisture content, woodtype, etc.) of the waste wood placed within the infeed hopper 170. Theprocess also allows the charcoal to be separated from possiblecondensation of volatiles on the surface thereof, resulting in a cleanercharcoal product.

Once a significant amount of wood waste has been burned and converted tocharcoal in the burn compartment 152, more wood or wood waste may beintroduced to the infeed hopper 170. The wood waste may be simply placedin the infeed hopper 170 by dropping the wood waste in the open top 171thereof. This process allows the method 210 to be a continuous process,increasing the throughput of the portable charcoal device 150.

After activating the shaker or rotation of the burn compartment 152 andthe collection compartment 154, the auger 200 may be activated at step220. Following step 220, charcoal which has fallen into the collectioncompartment 154 from the burn compartment 152 may move into theextruding compartment 156, allowing the charcoal to be quenched by theheat conductive medium therein and extruded using the extruder 202 atstep 222. In step 222, any embers still burning will be extinguished. Ineffect, and during step 222, the material in the extruding compartment156 may be mixed and moved from the back end 196 to the front end 194 ofthe extruding compartment 156 using the auger 200. The charcoalextrusions may exit the extruding compartment 156 through the extrusionports 204. The knife set up 205 may be synced with the auger 200 to turnsimultaneously in order to form uniform pellets.

After extrusion, the method 210 may further comprise drying the pelletsfrom step 222 in step 224. Further, in particular embodiments, theportable charcoal device 150 may be adapted so that heat from the burncompartment 152 and the collection compartment 154 may be used to drythe pellets in step 224. In alternative embodiments, the pellets may bedried using a dryer box with a conveyor in step 224. Once dried, thepellets may be packaged and sealed into sacks or containers in step 226.Alternatively, the pellets may be applied to the site that the portablecharcoal device 150 is located or to neighboring sites.

It should be understood that the portable charcoal devices 10, 150described herein may be designed as mobile or portable devices. In otherwords, the portable charcoal devices 10, 150 are designed so that theymay be transferred to and from a forestry site. As such, the portablecharcoal devices 10, 150 may further include fittings (not shown) forcable-hoist trucks. In one particular embodiment, the fittings are inaccordance with the American National Standards Institute (i.e., ANSI)specification Z245.60 for portable applications.

As a result of the mobility of the portable charcoal devices 10, 150,along with their ability to provide a continuous operation of producingcharcoal or biochar, the portable charcoal devices 10, 150 may at leastdouble production times over current air curtain burners. Further, dueto the continuous operation thereof, the portable charcoal devices 10,150 will eliminate unwanted debris in a shorter time frame than that ofcurrent air curtain burners. The continuous operation of the portablecharcoal devices 10, 150 may also decrease operational costs.Additionally, the portable charcoal devices 10, 150 help convert currentdisposal methods of wood waste into a product production method.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that while theinvention has been described above in connection with particularembodiments and examples, the invention is not necessarily so limited,and that numerous other embodiments, examples, uses, modifications anddepartures from the embodiments, examples and uses are intended to beencompassed by the claims attached hereto. The entire disclosure of eachpatent and publication cited herein is incorporated by reference, as ifeach such patent or publication were individually incorporated byreference herein. Various features and advantages of the invention areset forth in the following claims.

We claim:
 1. A method of continuously producing charcoal from a portableburn system, the method comprising the steps of: initiating a combustionprocess of biomass within a burn compartment; directing a stream of airfrom a source of air to at least one compartment of the portable burnsystem; burning the biomass inside the burn compartment to produce anamount of charcoal; transferring the amount of charcoal from the burncompartment to an extruding compartment through a collectioncompartment; and quenching and extruding the charcoal in the extrudingcompartment.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method furthercomprises the step of cutting the charcoal into a pellet.
 3. The methodof claim 1, wherein the charcoal is quenched with a heat conductivemedium.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the heat conductive medium iswater.
 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the heat conductive mediumcomprises at least one additive.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein theat least one additive is selected from the group consisting of afertilizer and a binder.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the methodfurther comprises the step of drying the charcoal.
 8. The method ofclaim 7, wherein the charcoal is dried using heat generated in the stepof burning the biomass inside the burn compartment.
 9. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of packaging thecharcoal.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the biomass may be selectedfrom the group consisting of wood, slash, or chips.
 11. A biocharpellet, wherein the pellet is produced by the method of claim
 1. 12. Thebiochar pellet of claim 11, wherein the pellet has a thickness of about0.035 inches to about 0.25 inches.
 13. The biochar pellet of claim 11,wherein the pellet has a length of about 0.1 to about 1 inches.